


Stolen Moments

by FarFlungDreamer



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), MCU, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: buckynat - Freeform, winterwidow - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29641221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FarFlungDreamer/pseuds/FarFlungDreamer
Summary: Another of my BuckyNat moments behind the scenes in the current comic lines! I saw so many little WinterWidow moments tucked between the scenes of Captain America’s great new run (2018/Vol.9) and just wanted to expand on them! The last is in issue # 26 and 27.
Relationships: Buckynat, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Winter Soldier/Black Widow, Winterwidow
Kudos: 7





	Stolen Moments

They all filtered in from the shadows after Natasha had arrived, apparently Dryad had more people set up in this puzzle than she’d figured. Then again, everyone made sense, connected to Steve in some way or another. None of them were going to stand idly by while all this happened to him.

So it was vital, and they had very little time. Still, Natasha knew some things were always going to be a slight distraction. Such as the man emerging from the far corner now. Her eyes followed his movements in how he not so much as arrived, but more materialized from within the dark corners themselves. Much like herself, she imagined.

It was electric seeing him. That, or a slight malfunction in her wrist weapons shooting up her arm and through her chest. Of course it wasn't that. This was business, they all had serious fish to fry. That didn't mean she could enjoy a glance as they all entered the main hanger. 

Enjoy she did, one side eye into those intense, blue eyes and Natasha always felt that same jolt. It didn't matter that she wouldn't have time to even say a hello, or that they'd both be headlong into the mission. His simple warm glance. His silent _hello_. _Damn it's good to see you,_ and his almost imperceivable smile was enough from James. 

It ran through her and gave her a little boost for the mission. She smiled back to him, transferring a moment of endearment, a silent longing and then her eyes snapped back to Dryad and the mission. She wished this one might have brought them closer, but perhaps the next.

She did find time on the next one. Just before she needed to rush off to deal with Ross she had time to set the fireworks display for later. Natasha liked to watch him work. Whether it was because she appreciated his commitment to a task or it was leftover from an era long gone between them, she always did. 

James was slipping in and out of the light, one of the shadows rather than a man hiding. She surveyed the flight deck for disturbances again before she slipped down from her perch. They'd rather traded jobs today, often it was James up in a nest, watching carefully with his limitless patience.

Tonight he was the one rigging explosives on the fuel tanks. He may snipe often but Natasha knew damn well he loved his explosives. He was smoothing out the adhesive now, steady fingers twisting the wires into it. There was a hidden thrill there, not the action he was lately tossed into but the finesse of the dangerous tightrope between life and death. One wrong move... and the Winter Soldier had always liked a quiet, effective job rather than guns blazing. 

Not many people seemed to realize that about James. Then again, he tried to market himself as much as Natasha did. Which was not at all. 

They would always be shadows.

Actually, as he stood from his finished product, Nat decided she liked to watch him work mostly for those work pants. Quite the view.

"Playtime over?"

"I've got a few more," James said, and turned to look at her through his perpetually _useless_ mask. She'd never understood that actually. Though, she did understand the familiar electric hum that came over her with his smile and their silent hellos.

"Boys and their toys," She mockingly reprimanded.

"Yeah," He smirked and Natasha hid from her face how pleased she was he closed the distance rather than move onto the XF-85 Goblin. "Well I love a show."

"Hmm," She hummed, and looked him over appreciatively. "Here I thought I was getting the show."

He looked surprised at her flirting, but only for a split second. James certainly wasn't one to hesitate when it came to this dance of theirs. 

"I've got a few good shows saved up," He muttered, his voice rough and his capturing gaze filled with that familiar want. 

Always for her... and Natasha supposed she was human enough to enjoy that fact, too. Hell only knew, there were never promises between them, never any surety, mostly time and distance had plagued them. Despite it... James' look never faltered, it never changed for a moment. His intensity for her never seemed to lighten with the losses, or the inevitable nothing. It was as preserved in time as he, and once again, she was human enough to be flattered by it each and every time.

To be fair, her intensity for him never faltered either, even if she hid it better at times. Even when it should have, despite all her own changes her feelings for him hadn't found a way to dim. There was still all the same intensity as she'd felt back in Russia, hidden behind the barracks or sneaking into the showers. The same intensity she’d felt as they found each other again, and actually tried it for awhile. It never seemed to leave either of them even though it really ought to have by now. Well, when they both remembered, that was. So many of her relationships, the ones that were actually real, adapted along with her. James and she never adapted, they simply put the same book down and back up again at the strangest intervals.

Natasha smiled, and stepped into his chest to snake her fingers along his right holster strap and dance them up over his broad shoulder.

"I'm sure it'll be a blast," She teased, and flicked the explosive in his left hand gently. His gaze deepened even as he moved it away and tutted at her.

"Was that a pun from you?" He suddenly laughed, Natasha could feel it rumble through the hand she held him steadily with.

"I thought I'd try on your terrible humor." She smirked.

"Hey," He scoffed and then raised his metal arm, the bomb casting the same glint of the dimmed light. "At least I'm not trying to blow us up."

"If it was armed already, you'd be sloppy," Nat said dismissively, and twisted out of his heavy grip on her waist. He was being too distractible and they had a timetable here after all. "Which, usually, you aren't."

"What can I say," He deadpanned sarcastically, and looked her over once before he reluctantly turned back to the jet. "You bring out the best in me."

"Naturally James," Natasha purred, and smirked as she pulled herself back up on the platform through the railings. She should make sure no one was passing through here on her way out, after leaving the site unsecured for a moment. It had been worth it. These stolen moments were her favorite.

_{BW}_

Sam arrived just in time for the SHIELD and the military to show up and escort Ross away. She was sure he’d be fine politically, that one was a slippery as they came. Natasha checked the skies once more for the plane James had been maneuvering. He must have known she was thinking it, or came in with Sam, because she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

“How was the show?” His familiar, husky voice came quietly from behind her. Natasha smiled to herself before she straightened her face to turn to see James.

“I wouldn’t know, I was a little tied up,” She said casually. Natasha had needed to play Crossbone’s and Sins’ helpless hostage long enough for Ross to get triggered. Clearly it’d been quite the fireworks display, though. “I saw you missed a few.”

“They were out of the base at the time,” He said, and then matched her smirk and played along. “Something distracted me.”

Natasha scoffed, and turned to face him. “Here I thought I’d saved your ass up there.”

“It made things simpler,” He replied, not giving an inch. Natasha looked back at him with a seductive smile. No, neither of them ever had to, did they? He time just to smiled at her, too, and then Steve had turned back to the group to thank them all for coming in his time of need, for their friendship.

The moment passed, but after this… there was no need to regroup. They’d caught all the loose ends, and Steve was going to be fine now. His name was going to be fine, he didn’t need to run from the authorities and Natasha had no desire to stick around while he made speeches. The press was already filtering in and she could see they all, once again, wanted something to be said from Captain America.

“My place is closer than yours,” She told him lightly and started the walk back to her car. She wasn’t going to wait for him to follow. She heard James rhythmic, marching steps close behind her. Natasha never had to either.

_{BW}_

She only had a knife and one gun to set on her entry table, she was so tired she didn’t even bother taking her widow’s bites off. James on the other hand had to unload the mini arsenal he kept strapped on his chest into a duffle. So Natasha took the amusing excuse to go to the kitchen and grab them something to drink.

“We should probably turn on the news,” She called out, still in the fridge deciding if she wanted something to actually drink. Water was probably the correct choice beforehand, though, she’d spent too much time inhaling smoke the last few days.

“Wouldn't want to miss the speech,” He called sarcastically, and she turned from her kitchen counter to see he was already on the couch and getting to the right channel. 

Natasha smiled at the familiar view, and felt that wanting nostalgia settle over her. Just sometimes, at different points in the years, she liked having the idea there. The idea that one day when it was all over, or rather when they were over it, that him and her… they’d still be there when they were each ready for it. 

Sometimes Natasha couldn’t be further from bothering with the idea, too busy in her life and what she needed and wanted. Sometimes she was busy with what or who she cared about, needed or wanted. Right now wasn’t one of those times. Right now it felt good to sit down next to him, tug her boots off and curl her aching legs up next to someone who got it all. To hope that all these stolen moments were simply stepping stones to whenever it was they’d both be ready.

“Water?” She offered, passing one of the cups to him. 

“Thanks,” He said, and took it. She sipped at her water and was pleased to note James had eased his metal arm on the back corner of the couch behind her. Natasha liked how easily he still got comfortable in her place. That was vital to their dance, that neither got too caught up in wanting to get awkward about things. Instead it felt natural between them still and Natasha enjoyed the ease of that. Of course, she was tiring of ease rather quickly just now. She took another sip of her own water before she reached across him to tug his mask off his face.

“You forgot something,” Natasha told him, and waved it in front of him. He smiled and reached his metal arm around her left shoulder, pulling her in closer to him to retrieve his mask from her. She breathed a little sharper at the tight grip he had her in, and how tantalizingly close his lips were.

“ _You_ didn’t even bother taking your weapons off,” James teased back, and it was rather hard to turn her gaze to his eyes rather than his lips. He leaned his head on his stretched out shoulder. Unfortunately he returned his hand back to the couch behind her, releasing her. 

Natasha was just a little disappointed, but James was just like that, always the waiting gentleman. At a time James had been more like a waiting puppy, but lately, since she’d remembered him, they’d both seemed to be in the same place as the other in their continuing dance. 

Maybe she just hadn’t understood, but it seemed he was calmer knowing that she knew him. Natasha couldn’t blame him, after all she knew how that felt too. Remembering when the other you’d loved didn’t, it was its own sort of hell. It was much nicer this way, with them both back on the same playing field. They’d _been_ nice, though, and Natasha was bored of it tonight.

“You’re one to talk, James,” Natasha said casually. “Neither of us have gotten undressed.” Casually or not, she could tell he recognized the look in her eyes by the change in his breathing and that want returning to his gaze. Well, _he had_ been the one to promise her a good show earlier.

_“Breaking news! Steve Roger has been exonerated and Piper has the primetime view of the newly free Captain America’s first words to the people.”_

Natasha sighed internally. Damn his timing, James eyes finally unlocked from the gaze she’d captured him in and glanced to the tv where Steve was walking up to a podium.

“Here he goes,” She said, and swung her legs to the floor to sit up straighter, reluctantly away from him. Well they might as well see Steve have his moment.

_“I know what the past few months have meant to you. I know how much you've been hurt… and I know that I've been part of that hurt. I'm Captain America-- not Captain perfect.”_

“Captain perfect?” She nearly snorted.

“Remember, he writes every word himself,” James assured her, smirking.

“That’s because only Steve could come up with that,” She tutted and James chuckled besides her. Nat glanced at him, and watched him intently focused on his friend, very glad she’d uncovered those deep blue eyes now.

_“I know we’ve seen some dark times-- broken trust, betrayal. I’ve seen firsthand what that betrayal has done to us.”_

He sounded like he was running for president, but that was Steve, she supposed. Except that he truly believed in every word he was saying, truly lived by it. Astoundingly enough.

_“I've seen the families divided. The small towns abandoned. The closed factories. The shuttered churches…. and I've seen those who'd pose as saviors unmasked as charlatans.”_

He was guiding them all down the road they’d been on lately, the things they’d all faced and taken down. It wasn’t so bad, and it was certainly unifying. She’d give him that. 

“Smart to leave his hood down,” Natasha commented, turning to look at James and he nodded. “I’m surprised he even went in the suit.”

“I’m not,” James shrugged, and set the water on the floor next to the couch. “He’s wanted it back too much.”

“Hmm,” She hummed thoughtfully, she never understood Steve’s attachment to it herself. She knew why he did, but she never personally had felt that way. She was too fluid, too changing, but perhaps those were all the things Steve was tired of. He had certainly had enough of it lately.

_“And I know how hard it is to believe again. But I am asking you to still believe in America. Believe in yourselves. Believe in the people…"_

_“Believe in the dream.”_

Steve said a few thank you’s, answered a few questions and eventually Natasha felt the exhaustion finally wash over her. She leaned to put the water down on the floor, but instead of sitting up she pulled her legs up on the couch and rested her head on James’ thigh.

The regular news switched back, discussions about what it all meant and changed. James texted Steve something. She’d mostly tuned it out by the time James’ metal hand dropped down to brush through her hair, making her more and more relaxed. Mix that with the last few days and Natasha found herself drifting off to sleep far too soon.

The tv was still on when she woke up, she was still using James as a pillow but his hand had fallen down on her shoulder. From his breathing he was still asleep, and Natasha moved only what was necessary to untwist her stiff legs and turn so she could look up at him. She smiled, he’d twisted slightly and leaned his head on the back of the couch in his sleep and had given her a good view of his handsome face. He hadn't shaved and was starting to get a dark shadow along his jaw.

Natasha would admit this morning, at least, that she missed this a little. The quiet little moments in between, too much of it and she grew restless, but right now, she felt entirely at peace watching him sleeping restfully. Why could she never find a balance between both? They had once, a long time ago. The truth was she missed him sometimes, many times and she looked forward to their little moments.

Unfortunately Natasha’s daydreaming was cut short when a commercial for some FBI drama ended in a shooting and pulled James instantly awake. He glanced at the tv, affirming that’s where the sound came from and then she saw his gaze slide to her.

James smiled softly down at Natasha and she let herself smile the same way back.

“Hungry?” She asked, and twisted to sit up and stretch out her shoulders now that he was awake. Her right shoulder muscle was locked up from laying like that, not that she minded considering, but it was going to bother her until she got a hot shower.

“Yeah, what do you feel like?” He asked and looked down quickly as he almost knocked his water over from the night before. He grabbed it in time and stood up with her.

“I’ve got some eggs in the fridge,” She replied and gestured around the counter to the view of the kitchen.

“Sounds great, but we ought to get changed after that,” He replied and turned off the tv.

While he went to the bathroom she got everything started, it took a moment to decide between bacon or sausage and then go with the latter. She didn’t have time or patience for bacon right now and the eggs were already sizzling in their pan. 

She was ravenous after the mission, she’d eaten before knowing she’d be sitting there for a bit but two days later was too long with that energy output. James sat on the stool next to her and dug in too, and Natasha was glad she’d decided on the sausage.

“Steve was alright?”

“Yeah, right to business, apparently he wants to ‘hear the people’.” James rolled his eyes.

“Do you miss any of it?” She asked when she cleared her plate, and settled with her coffee and took a sip to test if it was hot enough.

“No,” James said decisively. Then he looked at her closer, and she wondered what the thought was about. “Not the speeches, and the suit, and obligations, anyways,” He added.

“Then what?” She asked, seeing there was more to what he was thinking of it. James took a moment longer to finish his plate and then looked back at her.

“I miss that time in my life, but not the moniker,” He explained, and Natasha smiled softly back at him. She missed it sometimes, too.

Her tablet pinged from the living room, a quick sharp noise and Natasha frowned as she looked in that direction.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Important, whatever it is,” Natasha informed him, and slipped off the barstool to go towards the table she’d left it on. She left notifications on for certain keywords. James was only two steps behind her as she turned it on. She glanced up once, seeing he’d put his mask back on, perhaps thinking someone was calling in. But, no, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

She opened the news app that had pinged and wished she hadn’t looked. Looked, only to see all their hard work, their victory of clearing Steve’s name was turning back the way they came and starting all over again.

Natasha sighed, staring down at the Red Skull doing another set up on Captain America’s name. At some point, who was left that would still believe him? Then again, Natasha knew how this world worked better than that. She knew some people only needed a reason, even if it wasn’t a sane one. She could feel James' hard stare behind her, and she clicked it closed.

“I think we’ll be skipping the showers, James,” Natasha said matter of factly and set the tablet down. He looked at her with a different sadness, just for a moment. Then he nodded and headed for the weapons bag he’d left in the corner of the room. A text pinged on her phone from Sharon.

Looked like their stolen moment was over too soon.


End file.
